Amidst the hype behind the PS4 and titles like The Last of Us, another Sony project has gone unnoticed by many. The theatrical gameplay of Puppeteer brings marionettes to life, and while it comes at a budget $40 price tag, that doesn't mean it isn't worth some time in the spotlight.

Stagecraft is at the heart of Puppeteer's aesthetic. The ever-present curtains open and close with each scene, and the narrator regularly addresses an audience that can be heard laughing and reacting to the antics on-stage. Like LittleBigPlanet, characters and props are made to look as if they've been carved out of real materials with worn paint revealing the wood underneath. Levels themselves are often presented as a series of sets, shifting forward as you advance, with objects and props swaying in the process. Paired with strong lighting, the carefully fashioned look is quite convincing, and the game is abundant in imaginative environments, endearing animations, and enemies on a grand scale.

The story's mood falls somewhere between Studio Ghibli and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and it's driven by colorful personalities. Ever mindful of the audience, the characters aren't afraid of breaking the fourth wall. Your sidekick will complain about another actress's poor performance or impatiently end a forest musical by tossing its participants toward the crowd. [sound up] There are some brilliant scenes and it's entertaining as a whole, but dramatics do interrupt the gameplay a bit too frequently throughout.

You play as Kutaro [pron. Koo-tah-row] a boy-turned-puppet who's out to topple the Moon Bear King who's capturing children's souls from the Earth. Since your head’s been devoured by the overstuffed teddy bear, you'll have to borrow other noggins along the way as you search for pieces of moon stone needed to revive the goddess the villain has overthrown.

This headhunting serves several purposes in Puppeteer. For one, keeping your head keeps you alive. You can carry up to three at a time, and when you get hit, your head gets knocked off, disappearing if you don't quickly retrieve it. There are dozens of individual neck-toppers, and each of them sports a fun, clever animation that serves to unlock secrets. By using the right one in the right place, you can find bonus stages, roulette wheels, or other beneficial ways to alter the environment.

Keeping the right heads on hand can be rather tricky. Since you can't store heads in a bottomless inventory, you have to be mindful not to lose them, either through damage or by having them automatically replaced when you find new noggins. As a result, you'll often find spots to use heads you don't currently have, requiring you to come back later to see what's there. That said, levels are designed to be played multiple times, letting you unearth new surprises after you acquire more abilities. With so many heads and secrets to find in every act, there's enough incentive to revisit old stomping grounds.

You gain Kutaro's other abilities one by one, mastering each before another device is added to your toolset. You'll acquire a knight's shield to block, ninja bombs to throw, and a pirate's hook to yank objects from afar. Along with Kutaro, you also have control over his flying companions, using the right analog stick to poke props in the background in search of new heads and other secrets. As a solo player, it can get tedious to stop and click on everything as you work your way through a scene, but a co-op partner can jump in at any time to handle the investigative duties. The game flows better with another person at your side, with the second player fetching gems and heads, stunning enemies, or keeping other dangers at bay.

There are many ways to interact with the world, but Kutaro's most important tool is a pair of magical scissors. Not only do these shears let you attack enemies and cut their imprisoned souls free, they propel you forward as you cut paths through objects made of fabric and paper. You'll snip your way up falling leaves and billowing smoke or use a tiger's fur to climb his body. You can even use the momentum of sliced fragments to extend your reach. Meanwhile, cutting through seams lets you zip forward on rollercoaster-like paths, where you’ll jump from seam to seam and quickly react to changes in direction. Puppeteer's cutting mechanics can feel a bit awkward at times, but they go a long way to distinguish the game and bring a fresh new dimension to its design.

Puppeteer’s frequent boss fights require real endurance and put your various skills to the test, requiring you to block, dodge, cut, and slam your way to victory. The game's dramatic presentation enhances these encounters. You're dwarfed by the size of many villains, and each major confrontation is topped off by a flashy quick time sequence.

Kutaro's quest takes you through 21 stages, each about half an hour long. Nearly every step of the journey presents a new setting, from a castle kitchen to a bamboo forest to a pirate ship, each fantastically crafted and fun to explore. Some levels have you climbing spiral staircases while others have you working your way up rooftops. Changes in perspective even have you racing against cars and trains. Between levels, you can view a gallery of heads you've collected so far, and after each act, you'll unlock a story book, telling you more about a character you met along the way.

While Puppeteer's unique construction doesn't always make for the most fluid action, it presents some new ideas across an undeniably fun and diverse journey. Creatively fashioned visuals and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor lend an impressively elaborate feel to the overall production. When such a brilliant game is presented at a nice discount, it's easily worth the price of admission.

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